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Thursday, 30 October 2014

Markers for table top Napoleonic games

Since I have been working on some new types of markers ready to use with March Attack rules, I though I would share the various approaches I have tried over the years.

I don't like my games to be cluttered with things on the table so I tend to use roster sheets. Easy these days to design them on the computer, print off and laminate at home so they can be reused. If any interest I can always dig out some of my old ones (haven't designed any for March Attack yet) and do a future post - let me know.

My first set of markers I did for In the Grand Manner rules. I made up a grid of the different marker text in Word using coloured text and printed off on pastel shade paper. I then had it laminated and cut the markers out with a sharp knife. This was back in the days when you had to get laminating done at a printers (wasn't expensive) and the laminate sticks to the paper when cut. It seems to be a bit more hit and miss with home laminating if the plastic sticks after you cut a sheet up.

An unformed marker next to a battalion:

A selection of other markers (please excuse the photo quality, I had a heck of a time getting a photo without too much glare on the plastic!):

Some close ups of the two British battalions while I'm at it:

When playing General De Brigade I printed off the pdf of markers you can get from the website and then essentially based them - stuck on small bases and glued some sand around the edges and painted and added static grass. Helps to blend the marker in on the table. The test cases I did where mostly the order makers for generals but you get the idea hopefully.

I also did some directional arrows, again based like my figures, to indicate which direction a battalion was facing in a built up area (as it is not always possible to orientate the figures in the buildings plus a pain to move them about). I also did some double arrows to allow units to partly face in two directions.

And my newest markers are for March Attack to indicate a charging unit and to show casualties received in the current turn. I decided to do these with figures to further cut down on things that should not be on the battlefield.

For the charge markers I used spare infantry - and doing some with cavalry too (a single figure on the small round base). These will be put next to any battalions that are going to charge in the coming turn. The examples are a couple of French and a Wurttemberg marker. I don't intend to do all the smaller nations and will do something like Russians, Prussians, Austrians, British and French (and their allies; to be used as generic French markers).

Casualties received in the current turn need to be marked for various checks and I decided to do some bases with the Adler casualty figures. My first two are Austrians - a single and a double casualty marker:

Markers shown in use with an Austrian unit taking 3 casualties (which is a lot for a turn in March Attack as that is 3 CV [combat value] and many battalions are around 6 or 7 CV in strength; which does mean I don't need huge numbers of these things and ones and twos are going to be fine with the bulk probably needing to be single casualty markers).

I haven't decided on the more general markers yet but if I need anything with words on then I expect I will do versions like the General De Brigade examples above.

[the round bases are 1.5mm ply from Fenris Games - one of their standard items, 20mm diameter]